The Case for Plant Proteins in Southern Africa…lentils
H. A. Pswarayi
University of Nottingham
Problem: Sick Food Systems
- Deficient in protein, micro-nutrients:
- MAPS project, and Geonutrition studies.
- Low crop productivity
- acidic soils, and poor soil fertility.
- Government policies
- promoting tobacco and staple maize,
- leading to increased rural poverty,
- due to lack of profitable alternatives.
- Climate change
- Southern Africa particularly vulnerable,
- to increased drought frequencies.
A Strategic Solution…lentils
- lentils, most efficient for supplying the deficient nutrients
- because cheapest to grow and buy (MAPS simulation)
- lentils are a strategic:
- because of multiple attributes
- that can cure the sickness of the food systems
Lentils improve human health…
- They are nutritious:
- rich in protein,
- rich in complex carbohydrates,
- rich in minerals: K, Mg, Fe, Se, folate, Ca, P, Zn
- richest in fiber, good for digestion, insulin regulation
Lentils improve soil health
- lentils encourage good soil husbandry
- by encouraging farmers to ameliorate soil acidity,
- because lentils are very sensitive to acidic soils
Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…severe stunting
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Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…susceptible to drought
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Lentils are water efficient…
- lentil crops require minimal rainfall
- about 300 - 500 mm, annually
- compared to maize that require about double
- hence, lentils adapt better to shortening of rainfall seasons by climate change
Lentils reduce domestic energy consumption…
- Because they cook in 10-30 minutes,
- which saves energy,
- and reduces deforestation,
- Firewood, a primary source of domestic energy in southern Africa
- due to low generation capacity of electricity
- and a large, and poor rural population
Lentils improve animal health…
- Because lentil stover is:
- more palatable,
- higher in digestibility,
- nutrients: protein, Ca, and P,
- and is better than cereal stover.
Lentils and gender…
- lentils require minimum inputs
- ideal for poor female headed households
- lentils are less complicated grow
- therefore, ideal for illiterate women/widowed households
- lentils cook quickly
- therefore less firewood collection
- which affords women rest time
- and time with children
Lentils and intercropping…
- lentils can be inter cropped with cereals
- raising land productivity
- especially for small land holdings
- lentil inter crops benefit cereals
- because lentils fix nitrogen
- which will be utilized by the cereals
Lentils, a profitable cash crop…
- Lentils have a multi-billion pound (£) international market
- major consumers in south Asia (e.g., India)
- where lentils are integral to daily diets
- Canada, the largest producer, and exporter
- mainly by large-scale prairie farmers
- India, the second largest producer
- mainly by small-holder farmers
Project status…inception
- Collaborative agreements with 4 countries in place
- after co-designing projects together
- 3 pilot trials planted in Malawi
- to identify breeding materials, suitable environments,
- to learn lentil agronomy
- A seed multiplication trial to be planted this week
- advanced breeding lines from ICARDA
- to be tested next summer on on-station sites :::
Trials…570 ICARDA Accessions
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Trials…crop emergence
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Trials…happy lentils
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Trials…happy lentils
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